By Bisola Adeyemo
World Ocean Day is of great importance, as it is celebrated to spread awareness about the impact of human actions on the ocean, and develop a worldwide movement of citizens for the ocean.
The theme of this year is” The Ocean: Life and Livelihoods’.which informs people about the crucial role the ocean plays in our lives and the important ways it can help protect it.
Also, the purpose of the day is to inform the public of the impact of human actions on the ocean, develop a worldwide movement of citizens for the ocean, mobilize and unite the world’s population on a project for the sustainable management of the world’s oceans.
According to the United Nations, “at least 800 species worldwide are affected by marine debris, and as much as 80 per cent of that litter is plastic.
“It is estimated that up to 13 million metric tons of plastic ends up in the ocean each year. The equivalent of a rubbish or garbage truck load’s worth every minute. Fish, seabirds, sea turtles, and marine mammals can become entangled in or ingest plastic debris, causing suffocation, starvation, and drowning.
“Humans are not immune to this threat While plastics are estimated to take up to hundreds of years to fully decompose, some of them break down much quicker into tiny particles, which in turn end up in the seafood we eat.”
Of the most devastating elements of this pollution is that plastics take thousand of years to decay. As a result, fish and wildlife are becoming intoxicated. Consequently, the toxins from plastics have entered the food chain, threatening human health.
Many seabirds and other sea animals are found dead with their stomachs full of human waste being dumping into the ocean.
Scientists estimate that “60 per cent of all seabird species have eaten pieces of plastic our oceans affects creatures large and small.”
According to a recent study, “scientists concluded that corals that come into contact with plastic have an 89 per cent chance of contracting disease, compared with a 4 per cent likelihood for corals that do not.
“Unless action is taken soon to address this urgent problem, scientists predict that the weight of ocean plastics will exceed the combined weight of all of the fish in the seas by 2050,” the UN stated.
NatureNews reports that Ocean Day is celebrated every year on 8 June, set up by the United Nations in 2008.
